For the Love of a Child
by savvyliterate
Summary: Kenshin discovers a secret at Tomoe has kept from him, but as he is dealing with the news, he and Kaoru find another surprise waiting for them.
1. Part One

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part One  
  
Yahiko walked outside of the dojo and tossed the contents   
of the water bucket out into the lawn, the dirty water   
arcing through the air before landing on the grass. He   
grinned and wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his gi.  
  
"Ah, I'm finally finished, and before busu gets back from   
shopping too. Maybe I can go see Tsubame now," Yahiko   
spoke to the empty yard. He dropped the bucket on the   
porch.  
  
"Do you always have this habit of speaking when no one is   
around?"  
  
Yahiko jumped and stared at the gate, where Saitou stood on   
the opposite side of the threshold. Despite all of them   
working together to rescue Kaoru from Enishi, the cop still   
gave him the creeps at times. "What do you want," he   
asked, pulling out his shinai and starting his practice   
swings.  
  
"Where's the Battousai?"  
  
"Not here," Yahiko said, mentally counting the swings. And   
if it's a fight you're looking for, I'm not telling you   
where he is, he added silently.  
  
"Fine, then I will wait for his return," Saitou leaned   
against the fence.  
  
"He's not going to fight you, Saitou," Yahiko said.   
  
Saitou chuckled. "It's not a fight. I have news of a man   
on the lookout for him."  
  
"Huh? Who? Tell me?"  
  
"It's none of your business."  
  
Yahiko pointed his shinai at Saitou. "Baka! We're the   
Kenshingumi. If someone goes after Kenshin, we're all   
gonna help him out. Tell me!"  
  
Saitou frowned at Yahiko, then headed down the street.  
  
"Hey! Stop! Come back here, you ahou!" Yahiko tore out of   
the gate after Saitou and quickly noticed his tall, lanky   
form disappearing into the crowd.   
  
Strange, why was Saitou wanting to alert Kenshin of someone   
on the look out for him? Someone from the Bakamatsu   
or...Yahiko's heart stopped. Yukishiro Enishi.  
  
"Crap, I've gotta find Kenshin!" he cried, taking off   
through the crowd. Enishi would be the only reason why   
Saitou would bother warning Kenshin. Him or Shishio, and   
Shishio was dead.  
  
Yahiko darted down an alley and saw Kenshin heading his   
way. He started to call out to him, but before a sound   
could pass his lips, a man stepped out of the shadows and   
jerked Kenshin up by his gi.  
  
"Kenshin!" Yahiko cried, running toward the men.  
  
Kenshin swiftly unsheathed his sakabatou and smashed the   
man's wrist with it. He fell back to the ground as the man   
hollered in pain. He struggled to his feet, not bothering   
to resheath his sakabatou.  
  
Yahiko froze, his eyes growing wide as he realized who the   
man was. Kami-sama...Yukishiro Enishi...  
  
"What do you want?" Kenshin asked, slowly resheathing the   
sakabatou. Yahiko tensed, noticing that he was in a stance   
ready to unleash his Battou-Jutsu at a moment's notice.  
  
"You bastard," Enishi growled at Kenshin, taking a book   
from a pouch at his waist and flinging it at him. Kenshin   
caught it before it hit the ground. "You fuckin' bastard.   
I ought to kill you for what you did."  
  
"I thought we've resolved the situation of Tomoe's death,   
Enishi," Kenshin replied, calmly, feeling that Enishi   
wouldn't attack out in public. Besides, he couldn't detect   
any weapons, hidden or not, on his body. He looked at the   
book, recognizing it as Tomoe's diary.   
  
"Something else, Battousai." Enishi studied Kenshin's face   
for a moment. "How much of my sister's diary did you read   
anyhow?"  
  
"Not much," Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "Why?"  
  
Enishi scrutinized Kenshin's face a little closer, then   
backed away laughing. "You don't know, do you? You really   
don't know! Then, I'll leave you to find out on your own,   
Battousai. The knowledge of what you did will be worse   
than any physical wound I can give you," The white-haired   
man walked down the street. "I think I'll head for China   
before the ahou cops here decide they want my ass.   
Sayonara, Battousai."  
  
Kenshin stared after Enishi, then at the diary. He   
wondered what else he could had possibly done to hurt   
Tomoe, especially to motivate Enishi to risk captivity to   
let him know about it. After all, killing her fiance, then   
killing her had to be among the top ten items you could do   
to hurt a loved one. He tucked the diary in his gi and   
headed for home. Kaoru was out shopping and Yahiko   
probably at the Akabeko. He could read it alone.  
  
Yahiko watched as Kenshin headed for the dojo, then took   
off running for the Akabeko.  
  
*****  
  
Kenshin checked the gates, making sure that he would hear   
someone open them when they arrived home. He walked over   
to the porch and sank down onto the smooth wood, trying not   
to let curiousity overwhelm him. He pulled the aging diary   
out of his gi and studied the book. The binding holding   
the pages together was about to break. He could repair the   
book later on, then put it back at Tomoe's grave.   
  
He flipped through the diary, noticing the few entries he   
had read before. It didn't take much guessing on his part   
to realize that the diary started when she got engaged for   
the first time. She wrote in it every day, and the book   
seemed about full. He flipped to the back to see when her   
last entry was.  
  
The last two pages of the diary seemed stuck together. It   
took him a moment to carefully unstick them. He noticed   
that someone had done the same before. Probably Enishi   
when he handled it. He glanced at the date of the entry.  
  
January 2...the day Tomoe died.  
  
His eyes widened with shock. She must had written it the   
morning before she left him, while he was still asleep.   
Curiousity plagued him as he started reading the entry.  
  
"I don't know what to do. I hope to bargin for Kenshin's   
life in exchange for my own. But, what I learned yesterday   
changed all of this. In all of my confessing last night,   
this was the one thing I held back from him. But, I know   
him. He would go after them for us."  
  
Us? A cold chill started to settle in Kenshin's bones. Us   
as in her and Enishi? Or us as in her and someone else?  
  
"This is my problem. I got us into it and I will get us   
out of it. Only when I know that they won't hurt Kenshin   
will I tell him that I'm pregnant."  
  
The diary fell from his hands, the binding splitting apart   
as the paper hit the ground. Sheets scattered in a pile   
around his feet as he buried his head in his hands.  
  
Kami-sama...Tomoe had been pregnant. With his child.  



	2. Part Two

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part Two  
  
"Huh? Yukishiro Enishi?" Kaoru gasped, nearly dropping the   
bucket of tofu. "You saw him talking to Kenshin?"  
  
Yahiko nodded. "He yelled at Kenshin, then gave him   
Tomoe's diary and ran off. He called him a bastard and   
told him to read the diary."  
  
"He didn't try to fight him?"  
  
"Nuh uh."  
  
Kaoru sighed in relief. "I'm glad. Kenshin's in no shape   
to fight someone like Enishi without using Hiten Mitsurugi   
Ryu. Megumi-san said it would eventually become   
ineffective, but the more he uses it, the faster that time   
will come. Better that he uses it as a last resort for as   
long as he can."  
  
Yahiko frowned. "It's odd though. Why did Enishi come   
back to Tokyo? And why didn't Saitou arrest him?"  
  
"I've learned not to question what Saitou does," Kaoru said   
as they walked in the dojo gates. "You can't figure the   
man out. Kenshin! Tadima!"  
  
"Eh? Look at that, Kaoru," Yahiko said, pointing to the   
porch of the house. Parts of a book lay on the ground with   
pages spread around it.  
  
"Huh? It's Tomoe-san's diary!" Kaoru cried, handing the   
tofu to Yahiko and running to the remains of the book. She   
carefully picked up the loose pages and the pieces of the   
diary. "It's been through so much, no wonder it's falling   
apart. I'll repair it later tonight."  
  
"Are you gonna read it?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"Baka. I have no right. Whatever's in this diary is   
Kenshin's business, not mine."  
  
Yahiko shrugged. "It'd be interesting to see inside the   
mind of that woman. I mean, she suddenly goes from wanting   
to kill Kenshin to loving him."  
  
"It's not that hard to do," Kaoru whispered. She hugged   
the diary to her chest. "I owe it to Tomoe-san to make   
sure that her diary is repaired. Still, I wonder why   
Kenshin left it out like that?"  
  
"I don't know. Oh, there's a page," Yahiko said, noticing   
a piece of paper by the empty laundry tub. He ran across   
the yard and snagged it in his fingers. He briefly scanned   
the page and started to head back to Kaoru. Something   
clicked in his mind and he stared at the page, recognizing   
some of the kanji.  
  
"Yahiko!" Kaoru scolded him, walking across the yard with   
her arms full of diary papers. "I said that we're not   
going to read this."  
  
"Ka...Ka...Kaoru...you've got to see this," Yahiko showed   
her the paper. "This might be why Kenshin isn't here."  
  
"Huh?" Kaoru took the paper and started reading the entry.   
After a moment, she cried out, the diary pages falling to   
the ground once more. "Masaka! She was pregnant?"  
  
"Man, and she didn't tell Kenshin either," Yahiko   
whispered, gathering up the diary once more.  
  
"The doctor guessed her to be two months along. Oh,   
Yahiko...Kenshin was going to be a father."  
  
"Was. The baby died along with Tomoe."  
  
Kaoru lowered the page. Yahiko was right. Not only did   
Kenshin accidentally kill his wife, but he killed their   
child as well and didn't even know it until now. She felt   
her knee grow weak, and she forced herself to remain   
upright. After all they had gone through, could Kenshin   
take another blow like this?  
  
Yahiko sighed. "What do you want me to do with the diary?"  
  
"Put it in my room," Kaoru placed the paper she held on the   
stack. "I'll repair it. But now, I've got to find   
Kenshin."  
  
Yahiko started toward the house, then looked back at Kaoru.   
"You don't think he'll start wandering again because of   
this, do you?" he asked.  
  
Kaoru hesistated. "I...I don't know. But, wherever he is,   
he's got to be hurting terribly right now. When Tomoe   
died, he had to bear that pain alone. Now, he has us.   
We'll see that he's okay," she managed a smile for Yahiko,   
then ran out of the gate.  
  
Yahiko watched Kaoru head down the street. She's changed   
from when I first met her, he thought. But, no matter how   
good her intentions are or how strong their feelings are   
for each other...Yahiko sighed, wishing that Sanosuke was   
still around. He deposited the diary in Kaoru's room, then   
headed out in search of a carrier piegon.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you sure he hasn't been by here, Tae-san?" Kaoru   
asked.  
  
Tae shook her head. "Genzai-sensei and the little girls   
were just here, and he wasn't with them. I'm sorry, Kaoru-  
chan."  
  
"That's okay. I'll see you soon," Kaoru squeezed her   
friend's hand and started to walked away from the Akabeko.   
She knew that Kenshin wouldn't stop at the restaraunt, but   
he could possibly be seen walking by. She thought for a   
moment, then remembered a place where he could be.   
  
Kaoru headed out of town, walking down the main road until   
she reached a path. She moved onto the path, and headed   
toward the clearing where she and Kenshin had talked prior   
to the battle with Enishi. Through the trees, she could   
see the glimpses of the clearing.  
  
An intense wave of ki slammed into Kaoru, almost driving   
her to her knees. She grabbed hold of a nearby tree trunk   
to steady herself. At that moment, a guttural cry of anger   
and sorrow filled the air, startling the birds and small   
animals to the point that they headed for shelter.  
  
Kaoru's eyes widened. Kenshin...  
  
She stumbled forward and saw Kenshin's hair through the   
trees. His sakabatou was unsheathed, and she watched as he   
raced forth and with chilling prescion, cut through the   
trunks of several small trees, his cries echoing the   
efforts of his movements. Kaoru gasped as the tears that   
streamed down his cheeks glittered in the sunlight along   
with the golden flecks in his violet eyes.  
  
I can't imagine the pain he's in, she thought. I've lost   
my father, but it's something entirely different to lose a   
child. Kenshin's had to deal with so much pain in the past   
year, how much more of it can he take? Before her eyes,   
the exhausted rurouni sank to his knees, struggling to   
catch his breath.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried, running into the clearing. He   
looked back at her just as she tripped and landed on the   
ground.  
  
"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, scrambling to his feet to get   
to her side. "Daijobu de gozaru ka?"  
  
"I'm fine," Kaoru got on her knees just as he reached her   
side. "I tripped, that's all." She scrutinized Kenshin's   
face from his red eyes due to crying to the tension that   
etched the corners of his mouth. She reached out and   
caressed the cheek with his scars. "Oh, Kenshin, I know   
about..."  
  
Before Kaoru could finish telling him about the diary, a   
thin, reedy wail filled the air.   
  
The couple startled, then surveyed the area as the cry grew   
louder. Kaoru looked back over her shoulder at the place   
where she tripped. She could barely see the edges of a   
willow basket set low into the weeds.   
  
"That cry, it's coming from over there," Kaoru said,   
getting to her feet.   
  
Kenshin laid a hand on her shoulder, then moved past her,   
his hand resting on the hilt of his sakabatou. He peered   
into the basket, ready to slaughter whatever wild animal   
that decided to make dinner of them. His hand dropped from   
the sword and he sank to his knees, gripping the sides of   
the basket.  
  
"Kenshin? What's wrong?" Kaoru asked, stumbling through   
the grass, silently cursing the heavy clothing of her   
kimono as she did so. She reached his side and looked in   
the basket. She gasped, her hand covering her mouth.   
  
"Masaka...it's a baby!"  



	3. Part Three

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part Three  
  
"Yes, to Machimaki Misao, Okashira of the Oniwabanshu in   
Kyoto," Yahiko said, handing the note he composed to the   
old woman. "And hurry, please."  
  
"If you'll wait a few minutes, I'm sure Misao-chan will   
send you a response," the woman said, placing the note in   
the beak of a speckled piegon. "She's been coming here for   
correspondence the times she has been in Tokyo. I know the   
okashira well."  
  
"Arigato," Yahiko said. The woman led him to a table and   
served him tea and rice cakes. He absently took a rice   
cake and began to chew on it. This news was too big to   
keep from Misao. Besides, through her, they could find out   
more about Tomoe's pregnancy. Maybe they could speak with   
the doctor who diagnosed her or...Yahiko sighed. There was   
no use in even trying. He glanced outside, praying that   
Kaoru had found Kenshin.  
  
*****  
  
Kenshin stared at the perfectly formed child squalling in   
the basket. It appeared to be a little girl, although he   
wasn't going to check under her diaper until they found   
something to change her into. Black tuffs of hair stuck up   
on the top of her head, and she wore nothing but a soiled   
diaper.   
  
"Kenshin, are you just going to stand there gawking?"   
Kaoru said, lifting the basket. "We need to get this baby   
out of here."  
  
"Perhaps her mother is nearby," Kenshin said, scanning the   
trees. He had been here for almost half an hour. He   
hadn't seen anyone coming through the area. Why didn't he   
notice the basket?  
  
Because you're wallowing in your grief too much to pay   
attention, his inner voice replied.  
  
"I don't think so," Kaoru said. "Look at her. Her ribs   
are showing and I highly doubt she's been changed in   
awhile. Poor thing. She must had been sleeping, then   
crying, then sleeping again. I don't think she's more than   
a few days old."  
  
The child opened her eyes, the small brown orbs locking on   
Kenshin. Her crying subsided and she reached out with a   
small hand toward him. Without thinking, he stretched out   
his index finger and held it above her. The baby grabbed   
onto his finger and squeezed tightly. Emotion choked in   
his throat, nearly robbing him of the ability to breathe.   
This child...would his child had looked like her if he   
hadn't killed her?  
  
"There's a stream near here," Kenshin said, carefully   
extracting his finger from the baby and taking the basket   
from Kaoru. "Let's wash her there and wrap her in my gi.   
It's not far to the dojo."  
  
Kaoru followed Kenshin to the stream and unwrapped the   
diaper from the baby without trying to touch as little as   
possible of the filth. One look confirmed the child as a   
girl. She carefully placed the child in the stream,   
splashing water on her as she squawked unhappily. Kenshin   
took off his gi and wrapped the baby in it. The warmth and   
smell of the garmet immediately calmed the child down and   
she snuggled into it.  
  
And promptly soaked it, wetting his chest.  
  
Kenshin sighed. Kaoru started giggling. He shot her a   
look and she pasted an innocent smile on her face. She   
knelt and rummaged through the basket, yanking a blanket   
from under the soiled diaper. "I don't see anything else   
in here but these," she said. "Let's take the blanket.   
It's the only thing this child has."  
  
She straightened and stared at Kenshin, who seemed absorbed   
with the baby. Her heart went out to him. How strange,   
she realized. Just after hearing that he lost his own   
child, we find this one. "Kenshin, do you want me to take   
her?" Kaoru asked as gently as she could.  
  
"No, I have her," he replied. Kaoru smiled, recognizing   
the protective edge to his voice. Kenshin gave Kaoru a   
small smile and she hugged the blanket to her chest.   
  
"Let's go home," Kaoru whispered, laying her hand on   
Kenshin's arm.   
  
*****  
  
Suzume peered into the basket, watching as the baby   
squirmed inside Kenshin's gi. "Is this yours and Ken-nii's   
baby, Kaoru-nee-chan?"  
  
Kaoru nearly dropped the bottle that Genzai-sensei had   
brought her to feed the baby with. A warm feeling   
blossomed in the pit of her stomach. If the gods smiled   
upon her, perhaps one day the baby lying in the small   
basket that she had laid in as a baby would be hers and   
Kenshin's. The smile died as she watched the baby.   
Kenshin had disappeared shortly after finding Kaoru's   
basket in the shed. She didn't blame him for not wanting   
to be around the child. Kaoru closed her eyes and sighed.   
As badly as she wanted to help Kenshin, she needed to feed   
the baby.  
  
Kaoru carefully poured the heated milk into the bottle   
imported from England. She placed the strange rubber   
nipple on it and picked up the baby.  
  
"How old is the baby, Kaoru-nee?" Suzume asked.  
  
"It's hard to say, Suzume-chan. Your grandfather thinks   
she's a couple weeks old," Kaoru replied, carrying the baby   
outside. She settled on the porch and leaned against the   
support pole. She offered the nipple to the child, who   
latched onto it eagerly.  
  
Suzume watched the baby, her eyes wide with delight.   
"She's hungry, isn't she?"  
  
"She sure is," Kaoru smiled.  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
Kaoru frowned. "She doesn't have one that I know of."  
  
"You and Ken-nii need to name your baby," Suzume stated.  
  
"She's not our baby," Kaoru gently corrected her.  
  
"But, you came home together with the baby. Ayame said   
that when a man and a woman go out together and come back   
with a baby, that means it's theirs."  
  
"Kenshin and I aren't married. You need to be married to   
have a baby."  
  
"Why aren't you and Ken-nii married?"  
  
Kaoru blushed. "Well...it's not something that little   
girls would understand."  
  
Suzume frowned. "Don't see what's hard to understand.   
Ken-nii always looking at you. He uses his sword to keep   
bad guys from hurting you. He always stands next to you   
an' stuff like that. Why aren't you married?"  
  
"Well...," Kaoru stammered. Yeah, why aren't we married,   
Kenshin, she thought. Baka, she chastized herself. She   
couldn't think selfishly at a time like this. Kenshin and   
this baby needed her.   
  
"What's her name?" Suzume's voice interuppted her thoughts.  
  
"Huh?" Kaoru blinked at the little girl.  
  
Suzume pointed at the baby. "The baby. What's her name?"  
  
"I don't know," Kaoru replied, lifting the child to her   
shoulder so she could burp her. "She doesn't have one."  
  
"Let's give her a name! But, not Notaro."  
  
Kaoru laughed. Thankfully, Sano wasn't around to lend his   
thoughts to what the child's name should be. The baby   
burped, then closed her eyes. Kaoru rubbed the baby's back   
and hummed an aimless tune. She stood and started walking   
around the yard with the baby.  
  
Suzume leaned against the post and yawned, then shot up.   
"Ken-nii!" she cried.  
  
Kenshin walked in the yard carrying a small bundle and   
froze when he saw Kaoru walking the baby around in a   
circle. His gaze seared her from head to foot as he   
admired her mothering skills. For a moment, his vision   
darkened, as he tried to picture Tomoe carrying a child   
around like that. He couldn't produce the image.  
  
Kaoru turned around and Kenshin gave her a sad smile.   
"Tadaima, Kaoru-dono," he said, softly.  
  
"Okaeri," Kaoru whispered, walking over to him. "I just   
got her to sleep."  
  
Kenshin dropped the bundle without thinking as Kaoru   
approached him. He peered into the folds of his gi to see   
the baby nestled peacefully inside the soft cloth. "I   
thought she messed up the gi."  
  
"She did. But, after I changed her, she wouldn't accept   
any other cover. So, I rinsed out the area where she   
spoiled it and wrapped her back up so the wet part dried   
easily," Kaoru said, admiring the dark blue gi Kenshin had   
done when they came home. "You do look nice in that."  
  
"Arigato," he replied, still staring at the child. He   
hesistantly reached out and ran a callused finger down the   
baby's soft cheek. She stirred slightly in her sleep and   
nuzzled his finger. He smiled. This child was so   
innocent, so trusting, like all children.  
  
"Oh," Kenshin picked the package off the ground. "I got   
these for you, Kaoru-dono. I figure you'd need them." He   
pulled apart the edges of the blanket to reveal a stack of   
cloth cut into squares and a paper-wrapped object."  
  
"Diapers! Yes, we'll need those and then some. Hate to   
say this, but having this baby around doubles the laundry,"   
Kaoru teased him. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to   
the other object.  
  
Kenshin walked over to the porch and placed the diapers on   
the clean surface. He held the paper-wrapped object in his   
hands, staring at it.   
  
Kaoru carried the baby over to him. "Kenshin?" she   
whispered. She gently placed the baby in the basket.  
  
Kenshin kept staring at the object, then slowly unwrapped   
the object. The paper fell to the ground and Kenshin still   
stared at the now unwrapped object. Kaoru peered over his   
shoulder to see a small rag doll in his hands. She smiled   
at him. "Kenshin, that's so sweet of you," she said.  
  
"Sessha...sessha thought she might like it," Kenshin   
whispered, placing the doll in the basket within the baby's   
reach. Instinctively, the child reached out in her sleep   
and brushed the doll's legs with her fists.  
  
He honestly didn't know what possessed him to buy the doll.   
Diapers were an essential, he knew that. But, once at the   
market, his eyes locked on that doll and he knew he would   
come home with it. Buying diapers was a given. But a   
doll...a doll was something a father bought for his   
daughter.  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
Kaoru's voice brought him out of his daze. Her hand was on   
his arm and instinctively, he wrapped the arm around her,   
hugging her close to his side. He absently stroked her   
hair.  
  
"Genzai-sensei said that she's a couple weeks old, born not   
long after the new year," Kaoru said, trying to remind her   
lungs that they needed to function. She looked up at him.   
"She needs a name, Kenshin. Why don't you name her?"  
  
The arm dropped from Kaoru's side and Kenshin quickly moved   
toward the laundry tub, his back to her. "Whatever you   
decide is fine with me, Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru marched over to Kenshin and grabbed hold of the back   
of his gi. "No, I think you should name the baby," she   
insisted.  
  
He turned on her. Kaoru fought the urge to gasp as the   
pain that radiated from his violet eyes, the guilt and the   
loss that swirled around in an endless loop. "No, Kaoru,"   
he growled. "I will not name that child." Kenshin pulled   
her hand away from his gi and marched out the gate, nearly   
running into Yahiko. He skirted the young man and headed   
down the street.  
  
*****  
  
Please send any comments to dqbunny28@aol.com. Also, please   
visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/weaver_stories/index.htm   
for my other works ::bows::  



	4. Part Four

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part Four  
  
Kaoru fought the urge to run aftr him, to demand what was   
wrong. But, a small whimper from the basket reminded her   
that her place was here in the dojo. She walked back to   
the porch and sank down next to basket and noticed that   
Suzume was gone. Somewhere in her mind, Kaoru vaguely   
recalled seeing her run off to play while she was talking   
to Kenshin. She sighed as a second urge welled up inside –   
the need to cry.  
  
"Say, did you talk to him?" Yahiko asked, approaching the   
porch.   
  
"Not really," Kaoru admitted. "I found him, but then we   
found something else," she said, indicating the basket.  
  
Yahiko looked inside and whistled when he saw the baby.   
"Man, talk about ironic timing. Whose baby is this?"  
  
"We don't know. She was out there for at least a day. She   
was starving."  
  
Yahiko sat on the other side of the basket. "How's Kenshin   
taking this?" he asked.  
  
"Odd. He acts fine at times, and now...," Kaoru sighed.   
"Gods, what are we going to do with a baby here?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe Misao can help once she gets here."  
  
"Huh?" Kaoru stared at Yahiko.  
  
"I send word to Misao about Kenshin. I figured with her   
cheerfulness and Aoshi's healing through meditation   
combined with you and me could help get Kenshin through   
this. After all, they're part of the Kenshingumi too,"   
Yahiko said.  
  
Kaoru smiled. Yahiko had grown up so much during the time   
she was gone, and she knew from the worry on his face that   
as long as Kenshin was feeling down, he would be as fretful   
as she was. She pondered about leaving the baby with   
Yahiko so she could find him.   
  
She stared in the basket. Poor little thing. Kaoru's   
heart melted as the child snuggled up to the folds of the   
gi, grabbing one corner in her fist and sucking on it.   
They needed to start looking for the child's mother, and   
soon. She knew deep within her heart that the longer they   
had this child, the less she wanted to let her go.  
  
Kaoru's head snapped up, her eyes focused on the crowd   
outside the open dojo gates. She was willing to bet that   
she wasn't the only person struggling not to fall in love   
with the baby. Kenshin's odd behavior became clearer.   
Obviously, he had feelings for the baby, but didn't want to   
give into him. Like her, he would love the baby   
unconditionally and then have to stand by as the real   
mother took her away. It would be a double blow for him in   
such a short time.  
  
It's a good thing Misao and Aoshi are coming, Kaoru   
realized. With them helping with the baby, it would keep   
Kaoru away from her somewhat. Then, she wouldn't fall into   
the same trap Kenshin was trying to avoid. She couldn't   
speak for Kenshin, but she knew that if that baby grabbed   
her heart, she would not be able to let her go.  
  
*****  
  
Kenshin walked down the street as fast as he could, not   
bothering to be polite as he pushed his way through the   
crowd. Perhaps...perhaps if he got out of town fast   
enough, they would not see his grief. They would not see   
him cry.  
  
He made it to the bridge leading out of town and leaned   
over the railing, griping it like a life line. Tears fell   
unchecked to the water below, making rippling waves. He   
did his best to control it, after all, Shishou was bound to   
be sitting in Kyoto laughing his head off at his baka deshi   
sobbing like a girl.  
  
Then again, Hiko never killed his own child.  
  
He remembered vividly the last two times he cried like   
this. The first had been when Tomoe died, the second when   
he thought Kaoru had been killed.   
  
Kemshin stumbled out of town, close to the clearing where   
he and Kaoru found the baby just a few hours earlier. He   
sank onto a stump and willed hiccupping sobs to come,   
anything to release the grief and the horror of what he   
did.   
  
He looked up to see clouds gathering on the horizon,   
blotting out the setting sun. He smelled rain in the air,   
yet made no move to find shelter. Instead, he hung his   
head. How fitting it would be raining on a day like this,   
much like the night he first met Tomoe. Gods, had it only   
been earlier this afternoon that Enishi confronted him with   
the diary? It felt like an entire lifetime had passed   
already.  
  
It was strange. No amount of imagination on his part could   
conjure a picture of Tomoe holding his child, feeding his   
child, or caring for it. Instead, images of Kaoru doing   
all of that sprang up. He thought back to the time when he   
was a hitokiri. What if Tomoe had told him that she was   
pregnant before she died?   
  
Kenshin watched the gathering storm grow closer. He would   
had been estatic, of course. He had loved children ever   
since he was barely into adulthood himself. He loved to   
see them be happy, and he knew that he would make sure that   
his own children would be the happiest of them all. They   
would never know the sorrow and pain he had gone through.  
  
Yet, why, why couldn't he see Tomoe being a mother? In the   
months they were married, he loved her and they slept   
together as man and wife. He knew of the consequences of   
that. But, he never dreamed of Tomoe being the mother of   
his child. It didn't seem natural. Yet, to think of Kaoru   
pregnant with his child almost seemed like second nature to   
him.  
  
Kenshin held his hands out in front of them. They were   
rough with calluses, nicks and scratches covering them.   
Any child he brought into the world would have the stain of   
the Hitoriki Battousai blotting him from the moment of   
conception. Gods, what if he had become a parent 10 years   
ago? The thought made his blood freeze into ice. There   
was no way he could care for a child on his own, not with   
the mental state he was in after Tomoe's death.   
  
His hands slowly closed into fists as images of the child   
he and Kaoru found in the clearing earlier filled his mind.   
Just a couple weeks old, born right after the start of the   
year. Kenshin's head snapped up. Tomoe had died on   
January 2nd. Could it be possible that this child...no,   
there was no way. A sad smile crossed his face briefly.   
No, this was a child whose mother either lost of abandoned   
her. She needed to be loved.  
  
Much like the way he needed love after his parents died.  
  
Kenshin thought about his behavior toward the baby. He   
didn't want to feel anything for this child. Normally, he   
would care for it, but something seemed to tie his heart to   
the tiny one. Looking into the baby's eyes was like gazing   
into Kaoru's. He felt like he was drowning in emotions he   
didn't want to name, didn't want to admit.   
  
Dear Gods, he really was falling in love with this   
child...just like he'd already fallen for Kaoru.  
  
Kenshin drew in a raspy breath, his throat clogging with   
emotion once more. Neither he nor Kaoru brought up the   
topic of finding the baby's mother. Normally, it would be   
the first thing that they would do. Yet, caring for this   
child seemed so natural, it was like second nature. He   
fought the growing feelings in his heart, but knew it was   
useless. This child...he would protect it with his heart,   
his soul, his life. Until the day they found the baby's   
parents, he would be her protector.  
  
No, not just himself. He and Kaoru. He smiled, a true   
geninue smile. They would work together. They would find   
the baby's parents together and care for her until then.   
He thought back to Kaoru's request from earlier. She   
wanted him to name the baby. Well, they couldn't just keep   
saying "aka-chan, aka-chan" all the time. The child   
deserved a good name. Suddenly, his mind clicked, and the   
right one lept to the tip of his tounge. His smile grew   
wider as he got up and headed for home, just as the rain   
started to fall.  
  
*****  
  
Kaoru watched as the rain poured from the sky, as if   
someone decided to upend a bucket over Tokyo and watch the   
residents scramble for cover. She held the baby close to   
her as she waited for Kenshin to come home. He had been   
gone for over an hour. Yahiko was in the kitchen, trying   
to come up with something to eat. In the meantime, the   
baby needed changing and she was now trying to rock her   
back to sleep.  
  
She stared at the child's face, relaxed in sleep, and a   
shaft of longing pierced her. She so wanted to be a   
mother. Kaoru often felt like she was playing pretend when   
Ayame and Suzume were around, games preparing her for the   
real thing. Even though this child wasn't her own, Kaoru   
felt like the baby's natural mother in some unexplainable   
way.   
  
Kaoru pressed her lips to the baby's soft skin. "Oh, how I   
wish you were mine," she whispered against it. "Mine and   
Kenshin's."  
  
"Mikomi."  
  
Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin standing before her, his   
hair plastered to his head from the downpour. She quickly   
rose to her feet with the baby in her arms. "Kenshin!   
I've been so worried," she said.  
  
Ignoring her for the moment, Kenshin stepped onto the porch   
and took the child in his arms. Her eyes blinked open and   
focused on his, much like the first time he saw her. The   
small bundle radiated warmth and penetrated his chilled   
body.  
  
"Her name is Mikomi," he whispered, not bothering to check   
the tears that mingled with the raindrops on his face.   
  
Tears filled Kaoru's eyes and spilled over. She hastily   
wiped them away with her kimono sleeve, but more kept   
coming. This time, she didn't bother to wipe them away.   
She wrapped her arms around Kenshin, hugging him close to   
her, and leaning her head against his shoulder. Mikomi.   
It was the perfect name. It meant hope.  
  
*****  
  
Please send any comments to dqbunny28@aol.com. Also, please   
visit my website at   
http://www.geocities.com/weaver_stories/index.htm for my   
other works ::bows::  



	5. Part Five

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part Five  
  
The sunlight filtered through the windows of Kaoru's   
bedroom, illuminated the three figures cuddled on the futon   
in the middle of the room. Kaoru and Mikomi laid fully on   
the futon with Kenshin half-on, half-off of it. During the   
night, after Mikomi demanded feeding at 2 in the morning,   
he had crept into the room to check on them and remained,   
watching them sleep. After awhile, exhaustion overtook him   
and he laid down as well. As the hours passed, he   
unconsciously crept closer to the futon until all three of   
them laid together.  
  
Yahiko silently slid the shoji open. Misao stood beside   
him, fatigue lining her face from the train ride from   
Kyoto. She pressed a finger to her lips. "Let's let them   
sleep," she whispered. "They've probably been up all   
night. We can take care of the baby until they wake up."  
  
Yahiko nodded and watched as Misao crept in the room and   
took the baby from the middle of the futon. Almost   
immediately, Kenshin and Kaoru rolled toward each other,   
his arms going around her. She snuggled into his chest and   
he rest his head on top of hers.  
  
Misao backed up to the door, smiling at them. "They make a   
cute couple," she whispered to Yahiko.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, they do. Let's get to the kitchen   
before Mikomi decides to wake them." Yahiko slid the shoji   
shut as quietly as he had opened it.  
  
Neither could remember what pleasant dream each were   
involved in at the time that made them move toward each   
other, but Kaoru felt the pressure of gentle kisses against   
her neck through the thick fog of sleep. Hmm, this is   
nice, she decided, nuzzling apart Kenshin's yukata with her   
nose and planting kisses on his chest.   
  
After a moment, she found herself underneath him, his lips   
on hers, searching and exploring her mouth carefully. With   
each flick of the tounge, each caress by a finger, he drew   
a response that moved her from sleepiness to alert within   
seconds. Kaoru wrapped her arms around Kenshin's neck and   
returned the kiss with equal passion. A moan sounded, but   
she couldn't identify who it came from. His hands came up   
and started to part her yukata.  
  
The shoji slid open. "Hey, Kaoru-san? Where did you put   
Mikomi-chan's....oh! Gomen nasai!" The shoji slammed shut   
and Misao raced down the hall as fast as she could.   
  
Seconds passed as reality set in. Kenshin slowly lifted   
his head from Kaoru's and stared apprehensively into her   
eyes. Gods, he couldn't remember how or why he started   
kissing her, but once he was awake and realized that she   
was a very willing participant, he didn't want to stop. He   
didn't regret it one bit. Hell, it was way pass time that   
they did something about the tension between them.  
  
Kaoru smiled at Kenshin and kissed his nose. "Ohayo," she   
whispered.  
  
No screaming, no crashing through the shoji, no echoes of   
"Kenshin no hentai," or "Kenshin no baka!" His confidence   
flourished. "Ohayo," he replied.  
  
"Where's Mikomi-chan?" Kaoru asked, looking around the   
room.  
  
"I presume Misao-dono has her. She ah...was looking for   
her diapers, I think."  
  
Kaoru giggled. "Poor Misao-chan. But, if she hadn't   
walked in...," she let her voice die away, realizing what   
almost happened.  
  
Kenshin fixed his gaze on hers. "Would you let it?"  
  
Her eyes were filled with determination. "Yes. I would,"   
she replied with a nod.  
  
He smiled, then pulled away from her. Kaoru sat up,   
gathering the edges of her yukata together. Kenshin stood   
and headed for the shoji, then stopped and smiled at her.   
"I'll help Misao-dono with breakfast, Kaoru."  
  
"Thank you. I'll be right out," Kaoru said as he left her   
room. She stared in her lap. Their relationship had   
changed drastically in the past 24 hours. She curled her   
legs up until her knees met her chest. She wrapped her   
arms around her legs and hugged herself. If she and   
Kenshin had been in this situation the day before, there   
would be no way she could had accepted it this calmly.   
Amazing how a day changes you, Kaoru thought with a smile,   
remembering May 14 a year earlier.   
  
She got up to put on her kimono. Grabbing the obi, she   
started to wrap it in the familiar butterfly knot of a   
single woman when she froze. Kenshin had called her Kaoru.   
No "dono." She smiled as she donned her clothes. Their   
life had certainly changed.  
  
*****  
  
"How do we start looking for Mikomi's parents?" Yahiko   
asked the gathered group. "Lots of babies look like her."  
  
"But, she's prettier than other babies," Kaoru defended the   
child, hugging her close.  
  
"No, she doesn't look like other children at all," Kenshin   
agreed with her.  
  
Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Geez, you'd think the two of you   
are her parents or something. You sure act like it."  
  
Kaoru scowled at Yahiko. Misao jumped to her feet and laid   
a hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "Let me, Kaoru-san," she said.   
"KECHO KICK!" she yelled, kicking Yahiko off the porch and   
into the dirty laundry water.  
  
"In any case," Misao said, settling herself beside Aoshi,   
"I asked Jiya to inquire in Kyoto about anyone who could   
had been pregnant a few weeks ago and visited Tokyo around   
that time. I also started inquiries in the Tokyo area."  
  
"We could put up posters," Yahiko sputtered, getting out of   
the tub.  
  
Misao glared at Yahiko. "Baka. She's not a dog. You   
can't just go around putting up pictures of a baby. What   
next? Paint her portrait on jugs of sake?"  
  
"If it gets the word out..."  
  
Misao growled and her kunai appeared in her hands.  
  
"Perhaps, you can inquire with the doctors around here,"   
Aoshi spoke up. Misao tucked away her kunai and kicked   
Yahiko's leg, sending him back into the laundry tub while   
Kenshin and Kaoru focused their attention on him.  
  
"Even if the mother is from another area of the country,   
it's obvious that she gave birth in Tokyo," Aoshi   
continued. "Therefore, we can take the child and show her   
to local doctors."  
  
"We can rule Genzai-sensei out," Kaoru said. "He checked   
the baby yesterday and didn't recognize her. Besides, he   
remembers that he didn't deliver any children around that   
time."  
  
"We can contact Megumi in Aizu," Yahiko said. "That's   
pretty close to Tokyo, and if someone gave birth at her   
clinic, they could still reach the city."  
  
"What do you think, Himura?" Misao asked, shifting the   
attention to Kenshin.  
  
He stared at each of the faces around him. Misao, Aoshi,   
and Yahiko's main concern was finding Mikomi's mother.   
That was only natural. Kaoru's expression, while still   
concerned, didn't contain the same hope that their friends   
did. It was as if she didn't want them to find her mother.   
Kenshin couldn't blame her. Deep down, he felt the same   
way.  
  
Still, they both knew how selfish it was to even want   
another woman's child as their own, even if she had   
abandoned her. He forced a smile. "It's a good idea,   
Misao-dono. I noticed a small birthmark under her ear   
earlier. A doctor would remember seeing that."  
  
"Wonderful!" Misao jumped up from her seat. "Between the   
five of us, we can find Mikomi's mother within a few   
hours!"  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru shot each other panicked looks. Kaoru   
cradled Mikomi closer to her chest. "Well...," she   
stammered.  
  
"You see...," Kenshin said at the same time, inching closer   
to Kaoru's side.  
  
Misao stared at them and opened her mouth to say something,   
but Aoshi laid a hand on her arm. She stared at him and he   
shook his head.  
  
"I think perhaps Battousai and Kaoru-san will remain with   
the baby," Aoshi said. "She seems to be happy with them."  
  
"But, Aoshi-sama..."  
  
Aoshi shook his head and Misao scowled. She glared at   
Kenshin and Kaoru and stomped out of the room. Yahiko,   
once more out of the laundry tub, shrugged at them and   
followed her. Aoshi quietly rose to his feet and gave the   
couple a searching look.  
  
"Battousai. Kaoru-san. Don't care too much for this   
child," Aoshi's voice almost turned gentle. "It's easy to   
care for a child that is not your own, holding it and   
loving it as if she's your own. But, one day, you will   
have to hand her over to her real parents. If you don't   
prepare yourselves, that moment of separation will tear   
your hearts apart. The pain will never fade, even when you   
reunite, for you will always feel a sense that you   
abandoned the child despite the fact you gave her up for   
her own good."  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru stared at Aoshi, their jaws sagged with   
shock. Other than in the heat of battle, Kenshin doubted   
her had ever heard so much come from his lips. "Aoshi," he   
said.  
  
"I must help," Aoshi nodded to them and followed the others   
out of the house.  
  
Kenshin stared after Aoshi, realizing for the first time   
how painful it had been for him to leave Misao behind with   
Okina when she was eight years old. He sighed and looked   
back at Kaoru, noticing tears in her eyes.  
  
Mikomi stirred in Kaoru's arms, and she absently rubbed her   
back. "He's right, Kenshin," she whispered against the   
baby's blanket. "We're being selfish. It's wrong to keep   
someone's child as our own."  
  
"Aa, I know," Kenshin started for his room to get his   
sakabatou. "I'll start looking as well."  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru reached out and grabbed his gi. "Let me   
go. It...it'll keep my mind off of the possibilities.   
I'll go crazy if I just sit here. Besides," she added with   
a smile, "someone needs to fix lunch and I don't want to   
poison the group."  
  
Kenshin chuckled and held out his arms. "You're a good   
cook, Kaoru."  
  
Kaoru handed the baby over and smiled. "Thank you for   
saying so, even though it's not true." She patted his arm   
and walked out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.   
Moments later, he heard her footsteps leaving the dojo  
  
Kenshin stared at the bundle in his arms. Slowly, Mikomi   
stirred and opened her eyes. Her brown eyes met his violet   
and she yawned. He smiled at her as she studied his face.  
  
Mikomi stared at Kenshin for a few seconds. Then, she   
closed her eyes. Her face turned red and her face twisted   
into a scowl. Before he realized what was happening,   
Mikomi let loose with a loud howl.  
  
*****  
  
Misao kicked a rock in front of her as they walked down the   
street. "I can't believe Himura and Kaoru-san are acting   
like that," she complained. "It's like they believe   
they're Mikomi-chan's parents."  
  
"Well, they did find Mikomi-chan out in the woods about   
starved to death," Yahiko replied.   
  
"Still, they took someone's baby and named it and they're   
treating her as their own."  
  
"Couldn't go around calling the baby 'aka-chan' all the   
time now, could we?"  
  
"Bah, you're as bad as them," Misao scowled at Yahiko.   
"Don't you see why they're doing this?"  
  
"Hmm...maybe because Kenshin and Kaoru happen to be nice   
people that are suckers for anything that goes 'coo'?"  
  
"No!" Misao halted and Yahiko nearly ran into her. She   
wagged a finger in his face. "Himura just received a   
horrible shock. He found out that Tomoe was pregnant when   
she died and he lost his chance to be a father. Now, this   
baby suddenly appears and so he's allowing himself to care   
for the baby in order to forget the pain."  
  
Yahiko whistled. "Man, that's good, weasel."  
  
"Don't call me weasel you....inu-chan."  
  
Yahiko pulled out his shinai and slashed it at Misao. "I   
AM NOT A DOG!"  
  
Misao laughed. "You look like it with that spiky hair and   
those brown eyes. You're so cute, I want to pet you," she   
added, patting the top of his head for good measure.   
  
"I'm gonna hurt you!" Yahiko screamed, taking off after   
Misao, her laughter carrying down the street.  
  
*****  
  
Please send any comments to dqbunny28@aol.com. Also, please   
visit my website at   
http://www.geocities.com/weaver_stories/index.htm for my   
other works ::bows::  



	6. Part Six

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
Part Six  
  
It was one of the hardest battles he had ever fought,   
ranking right up there with Shishio, Saitou, and Enishi.   
Still, he refused to back down for anything. He would win   
this fight, even if it killed him. Yes, it was the great   
battle of the Battousai versus the baby.  
  
And the baby was winning.  
  
Come on, Mikomi-chan. Be a good girl and eat like you're   
suppose to, Kenshin thought as he pressed the nipple   
against her lips. She turned her head away from it and   
kept screaming the same way she had been screaming for the   
past two hours.  
  
Kenshin sank onto the porch, his muscles sagging with   
exhaustion. He tried feeding her, he changed her, he   
bathed her, and he walked her. And walked her. And walked   
her. Kenshin was convinced that he would go insane if he   
had to walk Mikomi around the dojo one more time.   
  
Still, she wouldn't stop crying and he was at his wit's   
end. He couldn't detect any fever and from what he could   
guess, she was too young to be growing any teeth.   
Remembering what he had seen Kaoru do earlier, Kenshin   
slightly rocked back and forth.  
  
Mikomi's wailing started to subside.  
  
"What?" Kenshin stared at the child. "You mean I did all   
of that walking for two hours and all I had to do was rock   
you?"  
  
Mikomi stopped crying and stared at Kenshin.  
  
He blinked at her. "Oro?"  
  
Mikomi's lips curved into a smile.  
  
"Oro!" She smiled! Pride welled up inside him. This   
precious child had smiled at him! He couldn't wait to tell   
Kaoru when she got back. He lasped back into silence and   
kept rocking her.  
  
Mikomi frowned, then started to cry.  
  
Huh? He was rocking her. Kenshin kept rocking her, trying   
to figure out what else he did to get her to stop crying.   
All he did was rock and talk to her. Suddenly, he realized   
that's what calmed her down. Mikomi wanted someone to talk   
to her. During the past two hours, he had been silent as   
he dealt with Mikomi, and she obviously didn't like that.  
  
"You want me to talk to you, huh?" Kenshin said, settling   
back against the support post. "I suppose I could tell you   
a fairy tale or one of the old legends, but I don't know   
any." He grinned. "I do know a lot of sake songs thanks   
to Shishou, but I don't think Kaoru would like those too   
much."  
  
Mikomi gurgled at the sound of Kaoru's name.  
  
"Aa, you like her too, don't you? Well, I can tell you   
about the first time that I met her. That's a story. You   
see, I've been wandering around for about ten years...why   
was I wandering around for ten years? I'll tell you that   
story when you're older. Anyhow, I was walking down the   
street when I heard this voice. 'Stop right there, Hitokiri   
Battousai!' it yelled. I turned around and..."  
  
Mikomi yawned and closed her eyes, the rhythms of Kenshin's   
voice soothing her until she fell asleep.  
  
"So she asked me what my name was. And I said, 'Himura.   
Himura Kenshin.' Kaoru said, 'Kenshin...why don't you go   
on your way, Kenshin?' But, by then, I'd already decided   
to stay. Back then, I had no idea why, but I think my   
heart had already fallen in love with her. It told me to   
stay while it waited for the rest of me to follow suit. It   
didn't take long." Kenshin looked down at Mikomi and   
smiled when he saw that she was asleep.  
  
"Oh, Kenshin...that was so sweet."  
  
Kenshin looked up to see Kaoru, Yahiko, Misao, and Aoshi   
gathered together before him. He felt his cheeks burning   
at his friends hearing his private thoughts about that.   
"Okaeri," he said.  
  
"Tadima," Kaoru replied, her eyes locked on Kenshin's. The   
love she felt for him, confirmed by his story to the baby,   
threatened to spill over. She swallowed, willing control   
over her emotions while everyone was still around. Still,   
she approached him and gently pried one hand from around   
the baby and linked it with hers.  
  
Misao felt tears stinging in her eyes. No matter how wrong   
it was, it seemed that having Mikomi around was the right   
thing for Kenshin and Kaoru's relationship. She knew they   
could not see them now, that the world centered around   
themselves and the child.  
  
"Oi, busu. You and Kenshin are acting like you've gone   
nuts," Yahiko muttered, not sure of how much sappiness he   
could take. It felt strange to him, he almost preferred   
the yelling, screaming Kaoru and the smiling, hapless   
rurouni to this.  
  
"Misao-chan?"  
  
"KECHO KICK!" Yahiko sailed over the gates.  
  
"Let us prepare tea," Aoshi said to Misao. She nodded and followed him in the dojo.  
  
Kaoru sat next to Kenshin and he wrapped his right arm around her, keeping Mikomi cradled in his left. They gazed into each other's eyes and smiled. It was too late to turn back now. They both knew that they were in this for the long haul, with each other and Mikomi. One day, the day would come that Mikomi's parents would find her and they would face that pain together.  
  
  
*****  
  
Weeks passed and soon it was nearly two months since Mikomi   
entered their lives. After three weeks, Misao and Aoshi   
had returned to Kyoto. The day they left, Megumi arrived,   
staying four weeks. During that time, the Kenshingumi   
questioned every doctor and midwife they could find in   
Tokyo and the surrounding countryside at least twice.   
Still, there was no trace of Mikomi's parents.  
  
"Most likely her mother died giving birth to her," Megumi   
said. "Her father may have tried to care for her, but   
decided he couldn't so he left her behind for someone else   
to adopt."  
  
"You would think he would leave her in town and not in the   
woods," Kaoru replied.  
  
"Who can question what people do? It's been almost two   
months. I think it's safe to assume that Mikomi belongs in   
your care now. Congratulations, Ken-san. Kaoru-chan.   
You're parents."  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru managed to give Megumi tired smiles.   
Midnight feedings and colic had kept the entire household   
up for several nights in a row, everyone capturing naps as   
needed. Kaoru had fallen asleep in class one day and wound   
up with a nice-sized goose egg thanks to a hard shinai on   
the head. Kenshin caught himself toppling into the laundry   
time on more than one occassion. Mikomi's naptime quickly   
turned into the Kenshingumi naptime as well.  
  
A month after Megumi left, she came back. Misao, Aoshi,   
and the Oniwabanshu arrived from Kyoto. Together, the   
entire Kenshingumi travelled to one of the shrines not far   
from the dojo to witness Kenshin and Kaoru's marriage.   
After the ceremony, the couple presented Mikomi to the   
priest and announced their acceptance of her as their   
child.  
  
"I didn't think it would turn out this way," Yahiko   
admitted to Misao. "Before Mikomi-chan came, those two   
tipped-toed around each other like they were afraid to say   
anything. Then, they found that baby and everything   
changed."  
  
"They do make a cute family," Misao observed, watching as   
they chatted with the priest, Kaoru in her wedding kimono   
and Kenshin holding Mikomi, who was doing her best to try   
and teethe on his dark blue formal kimono. "But I don't   
understand why Himura didn't go absolutely nuts over what   
happened with Tomoe."  
  
"Two things," Megumi spoke up. "First of all, he's spent   
more than ten years atoning for killing Tomoe. In all of   
that, his grief for what could had been with her also must   
had come through. The second is Mikomi-chan. Perhaps fate   
had a hand of placing that child in the right place at the   
right time, but it reminded him of what was really   
important."  
  
"And that is?" Yahiko and Misao asked at the same time.  
  
Megumi smiled. "The future."  
  
*****  
  
Please send any comments to dqbunny28@aol.com. Also, please   
visit my website at   
http://www.geocities.com/weaver_stories/index.htm for my   
other works ::bows::  



	7. Epilogue

For the Love of a Child  
by DQBunny  
  
*****  
  
DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are the   
property of Nobuiro Watsuki. I'm just borrowing them for   
awhile. This story is set after the Jinchu Arc of the   
manga and relies heavily on information gathered in that   
arc for those who do not wish to be spoiled.  
  
*****  
  
EPILOGUE – 2 years later  
  
"Catch, Mikomi-chan!" Suzume tossed the paper ball in   
Mikomi's direction, the little girl squealing with delight   
as it sailed through the air and landed on the ground near   
the gate.  
  
"Watch her as I check on Kaoru-dono, Suzume-chan," Kenshin   
instructed Suzume as he walked past them with the basket of   
clean laundry.  
  
"I will, Ken-nii," Suzume said, then turned around.   
"Mikomi? Mikomi, where are you!"  
  
Mikomi ran after the ball. Her little fingers were about   
to grab it when the wind blew it toward the open gates of   
the dojo. She frowned and toddled after it and nearly ran   
into a tall man that stood outside the gate.  
  
She picked up the ball and stared at the man. "Ohayo,   
strange man-san," she said.  
  
Yukishiro Enishi stared at the small child before him, her   
black hair framing her face, her brown eyes alert. He had   
no idea what brought him to his brother-in-law's home, but   
knew that this child was the reason. He knelt before her.   
There was no way she could be the Battousai's child. She   
was too old.  
  
Mikomi held the ball out to him. "Wanna play?" she asked   
with a smile.  
  
Enishi's heart froze at the child's smile. "Nee...nee-  
chan," he whispered.  
  
She shook her head. "Not Nee-chan. Mikomi-chan. I go   
tell 'Tou-chan that you here." Mikomi raced toward the dojo   
as fast as her little legs could carry her. "'Tou-chan!   
'Tou-chan! You have visit!"  
  
Kenshin pulled the blanket over a sleeping Kaoru and held   
his finger to his lips as Mikomi barreled into the room.   
He grabbed her and carried her back outside, not wanting to   
disturb Kaoru when she was so close to going into labor.   
"Who came to visit, Mikomi-chan?" he asked when they   
rejoined Suzume.  
  
"Strange man-san," she replied, sticking her thumb in her   
mouth and resting her head on Kenshin's chest. "He got   
white hair."  
  
Kenshin looked out the gate and scanned the street. He   
only knew of one person with white hair, but he didn't see   
him. Instead, the faint scent of white plum hovered around   
the gates and he smiled. Thank you, Enishi, he thought,   
closing the gates.   
  
From a nearby alley, Enishi watched Kenshin with Mikomi.   
Gods, the babe had his sister's smile. He closed his eyes   
and a mental image of Tomoe appeared in his mind.   
  
And she was smiling.   
  
Enishi shrugged and walked away from the dojo. He had no   
idea how Battousai wound up with that particular child, but   
he knew that Tomoe's spirit was guarding her.  
  
OWARI  
  
*****  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you so much to everyone who sent in   
the kind comments. A big big BIG thank you to Sailor   
Elysia, who kindly pre-read this story. This is one of   
those "What if?" stories that took on a life of it's own.   
I've grown very attached to Mikomi-chan and hope to one day   
do a sequel to this story with her in it.  
  
*****  
  
Please send any comments to dqbunny28@aol.com. Also, please   
visit my website at   
http://www.geocities.com/weaver_stories/index.htm for my   
other works ::bows::  



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